Staffordshire Imam guilty of preaching hate

A Stoke-on-Trent man who preached extreme Islamist ideology at a mosque in the city has today (22 September) been found guilty.

Kamran Hussain, aged 40 and from Knightsbridge Way, Tunstall in Stoke-on-Trent was arrested as part of an intelligence-led operation by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) and Staffordshire Police on 14 February.

Hussain was charged with eight terrorism offences; six counts of giving a sermon which would encourage individuals to commit, prepare or instigate acts of Terrorism under section 1 (2) of the Terrorism Act 2006. He was also charged with encouraging support for a proscribed organisation (Daesh) under section 12(3) Terrorism Act 2000.

During his sermons at the High Street mosque, Hussain supported the virtues of killing, martyrdom and violent jihad and endorsed the efforts of those who had undertaken such acts.

From his position of trust and influence, his speeches glorified the efforts of fighters and encouraged terrorism, and in particular he invited support for Daesh.

An undercover operative attended the mosque in Tunstall on a number of occasions and recorded sermons between 24 June and 21 October 2016.

Hussain’s home address and the mosque were searched following his arrest. A phone was recovered which contained images of well-known radical preachers.

Today’s verdict follows a two week trial at the Central Criminal Court in London. Hussain will be sentenced on Thursday 28 September.

Kamran Hussain – Image courtesy of West Midlands Police

Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Ward, head of WMCTU, said: “Hussain was espousing hatred and violence as well as clearly demonstrating his support for Daesh through the content in his sermons.

“During this investigation we used covert methods to record these sermons and present it as evidence during the trial. We will continue to use every lawful technique and power available to us to tackle terrorism.”

Chief Superintendent for Local Policing, Wayne Jones: “We are pleased with today’s guilty verdict and conviction of Kamran Hussain, a man who has supported terrorism and promoted extremist views within Stoke on Trent.

“We and our partners are fully committed to working with our communities to identify and target those individuals who would seek to instil hatred or fear into others. The actions of this man, who was supporting radical and violent extremist behaviour have no place in our society, and we will continue to be relentless in our efforts to keep you safe by taking appropriate action whenever we are provided with information about any form of extremism.

“I would ask that you remain vigilant and act on your instincts. If you see or hear something that you think may be related to extremism of any kind call the police on confidence on 0800 789 321. In an emergency, always dial 999.”

Visit gov.uk/ACT for more information, including how to report extremist or terrorist content that you come across online.